A few weeks ago, Baguette & Co kept popping up on my Instagram feed so I figured I must have been missing out. There are currently four locations (Davie Street, Kitsilano, Main Street and Marine Drive) and the patisserie offers fresh pastries as well as dessert. The cafe also offers mini sized pastries ($1.25/each or 3/$2.95) and dessert ($1.50/each or 3/$4.00) which provide an opportunity to sample a bit of everything before deciding on a whole size purchase.
I came here on two separate occasions because my first visit was nothing special so I wanted to give Baguette & Co another try. There are around five tables in the cafe and the seating arrangements are not too tight. A self serve station is also set up where cocoa, honey, cutlery and water is available.
On my first visit, I went for the desserts and the selection included eclair, cheesecake, napoleon, flan, raspberry pie, fruit pie, and lemon pie. The prices range from $3.45-$4.45.
HOT CHOCOLATE, SMALL ($2.90).
The hot chocolate tastes smooth and neither bitter nor too sweet, but not rich either. The flavours are very mild and cocoa powder is provided on the side, but I was too lazy to add some.
FRESH APPLE STYLE TART ($3.45).
The tart has plenty of layers, but lack that nice "fresh butteriness". In addition, the crust tastes kind of stale which is odd because I visited during noon and everything is baked on a daily basis.
As for the apples, the thin slices taste soft (but not mushy) and the mild sweetness is not overwhelming. But overall the tart tastes very flat and compressed.
CHEESECAKE, "Raspberry, white choco sur lit d'ore" ($4.45).
The cheesecake is topped with a couple of raspberries, shavings of white chocolate and two sticks. There is a smooth and creamy consistency while the texture is not too soft, and the cheesecake does not taste overwhelming sweet. As for the preserve, usually I am not a fan when paired with cheesecakes because most of the time I find it too sweet.
In this case however, the preserve is neither runny, thick nor gooey, and has a nice light syrupy consistency. The preserve does not taste too sweet either but could have tasted more tart. As for the crust, it is very stiff and packed which I like. The sturdy crust does not powder apart nor is it sticky.
The pie has a nice, hard and buttery crust along with a creamy custard. There is a hint of tartness from the raspberries and the sweet coating does not overwhelm the natural flavours of the fruit. This is my favourite dessert because of the crust, but I wish there was another layer of raspberries like other patisseries.
My first visit to Baguette & Co was disappointing because nothing amazed me. It was not until I further inquired about the cafe to other people that I realized their thoughts were similar too. As for the service, I did not arrive during a rush and was not greeted nor told of any specials. I would have definitely took advantage of the lunch special if I knew of it. However when I did order, the staff were friendly.
So, I told myself perhaps that Baguette & Co specializes in pastries rather than dessert and made a revisit. On my revisit, the service was a lot friendlier and I felt more welcomed. Furthermore, there was a strong aroma of fresh baked goodies! All the pastries looked more fresh compared to my first visit too and I arrived around the same time.
Baguette & Co offers a lunch special for $9.95 which includes a drink, quiche, and any dessert or pastry. For my choice of drink, I ordered a green tea and it looked orange rather than green. The friendly barista also apologized for serving the tea in a to-go cup rather than a mug, but I did not mind because I find disposable cups more sanitary anyway. The tea has a very mild flavour and does not even taste like green tea. When I asked the barista if she could pour the tea out and give me hot water, she was more than happy to and mentioned no one likes the green tea either. She recommends the Mountain Mint or Earl Grey.
QUICHE LORRAINE ($4.95).
When I ordered the quiche, I was given the option of having it heated which of course I agreed to. The crust tastes flaky, buttery and light. Even though the crust is not the "hard" buttery crusts that I usually prefer, it still tastes great.
As for the filling, it is not too gooey or curdled up. The filling does taste very basic however, and there are not much ingredients. I do not even remember there being any bacon.
PISTACHIO DANISH ($3.45).
The danish tastes fresh and has a nice crisp exterior. The light sweet coating also does not taste too hard or "hardens" the danish, and there is plenty of crushed pistachio which tastes fresh.
TOTAL $10.45.
After visiting Baguette & Co twice, I believe the pastries such as the croissant, danish and eclairs may be better than the rest of their offerings. But regardless, Baguette & Co is an option for those on the go and want a small snack though.
POSITIVES
- Friendly staff
- Large selection
- Housemade goodies
- Controlled level of sweetness
NEGATIVES
- Food is average
- Prices are higher
Food: 2.5/5
Service: 2.5/5
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